1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to gloves. More particularly, the invention relates to protective sports gloves. Specifically, the invention relates to a sports glove that has a padded thumb crotch extending between the finger and thumb portions and is provided with a curved top wall covered in a material having a high coefficient of friction that aids the player in gripping and cradling a handle of a sports implement.
2. Background Information
There are a number of protective sports gloves currently used in high contact sports such as lacrosse and ice hockey. These gloves include a variety of features that aid in protecting the player's hands from impact during the game. Yet other features aid in making the gloves more comfortable for the player, such as through the provision of mechanisms for encouraging air circulation into the interior of the glove. Further features include specific solutions for strengthening the glove in certain areas to provide needed protection for specific parts of the player's hand, such as the thumb.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,069 to Morrow, for example, discloses a glove having a single wrist guard elastically coupled to the back portion. The wrist guard is a relatively narrow strip of protective padding at the base of the back of the glove. The strip is substantially uniform in width and therefore likely provides little additional protection to the wrist bones during active play. The glove also includes a number of vent holes in the back portion and mesh fabric in the palm portion to enhance air circulation in the interior of the glove.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,333 to Morrow et al discloses a glove for a lacrosse goalie that includes a cuff portion connected to a hand portion and a wrist guard that overlays a portion of the cuff. The glove also includes a flange that extends along one side. In this instance, the wrist guard is a relatively wide component that is suitable for a goalie as it provides adequate coverage of the wrist and forearm and therefore will protect the goalie's hand from impacts from balls and sticks. However, the size and shape of the wrist guard would substantially limit the range of motion a player's hand could go through and the glove would therefore be of little use to a player other than the goalie.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,780 to Morrow is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,069 and discloses a glove that includes the relatively narrow wrist guard that overlays a small area of the cuff portion, and includes the plurality of vents in the back portion of the glove. The glove also includes at least two flex lines to improve the mobility of the same. A first flex line runs horizontally across the glove. A second flex line runs across the glove at an angle to the horizontal. The vents in the back portion of the glove are disposed along one of the first and second flex lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,690 to Gait is directed to a glove that includes protective pads on the back of the glove, the fingers and the thumb portions. A cuff extends downwardly from the hand portion in a number of sections that run substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the glove. The cuff sections are disposed adjacent each other and do not overlap each other. The cuff sections are joined to each other and are somewhat pivotable relative to each other. Additionally, the cuff sections flare outwardly so that the range of motion of the player's hand is less restricted. A wrist guard is provided along an innermost edge of the cuff portion and is fixedly secured to the hand portion. The bottom edge of the wrist guard is contoured in an attempt to reduce the impact the fixed wrist guard will have on the motion of the player's hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,117,540 to Morrow is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,780 and discloses the same glove as discussed above. This patent also discloses a palm portion that is composed primarily of a durable material and includes a plurality of openings into the interior of the glove. At least one of the openings has a breathable material disposed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,241 to Morrow is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 7,117,540 and additionally discloses that the glove has a palm portion made of two materials where at least one of the materials is designed to prevent bunching when the hand is flexed. The first material is a durable material and the second material is mesh.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,370,373 to Kohler discloses a glove that includes an elastic substrate that is used to secure protective pads together on those areas of a glove that typically include such pads, i.e., areas of the glove that are intended to cover a forearm, a wrist, a back of a hand, and finger and/or a thumb of the player. The elastic substrate is independently attached to different pad segments. Thus, when the player grasps a stick, for example, certain padded areas of the glove come under tension, and, in these areas, the substrate expands allowing the pads to move away from each other to a certain degree. When the player relaxes his hands, the elastic substrate allows the pads to move somewhat toward each other. Thus, the substrate increases the flexibility and mobility of the glove.
U.S. Publication No. 2009/0019618 to Winningham discloses a protective glove that includes a single, relatively broad wrist guard positioned over the dorsal region of the glove, specifically over the junction of the hand portion and cuff member. The wrist guard includes a contoured first edge facing toward the thumb and finger members and a second edge facing the edge of the cuff. The first edge may include a curvilinear portion where the first edge transitions from the dorsal region to the radial side of the glove.
Although all of these previously known gloves suit the purposes for which they were developed, there is always a need in the art for improvements to the same.